Ancient Crypts - Devoured by Serpents [2013] (Demo)

Given the obvious visual preferences of the band, Ancient Crypts is bound to erect a superfluity of speculations concerned with the band's lack of motivation, and these speculations will arise even before someone actually listens to the 22 minute tape, and hell, most of them will be accurate judgments, because this Chilean death metal horde is in no way giving birth to a new genre complete with all its technical and aural fulfillment, but that doesn't mean the group can't pack a punch with this ancient, decrepit sophomore demo. I would have hoped that, being in the same league with their ambitious label-mates Bolzer, ZOM, and Beyond, the Chileans could have embarked on something even only marginally different from a classic rehash, but the contrast between this, and creativity, is the virtual equal of the contrast between night and day. However, all is not in vain. Despite the sheer simplicity of their efforts and compositions, Ancient Crypts have somehow conjured a subterranean vortex of murk, complete with raw recording qualities, smashing, abusive riffing, and a one-time ticket to an abysmal land that's fairly frightening and vivid in its depiction of darkness and all things ominous.

This is actually some great stuff; the Chileans might not have tried too hard to tweak the aspects of the originality department, but they sure have some horrid, wrangling riff work ready at their disposal which they diversify in accordance with the varying tempo of the tunes, carnal, decomposed conformity that will make death/doom fans rejoice to enjoy altogether. It's easy to point at Ancient Crypts' influences, because whether you're an experienced OSDM connoisseur or some kid just newly starting to explore the beleaguered genre's fundamentals, ''Devoured By Serpents'' has some scary, tempestuous material hidden in its deathly vault that will easily make your bowels rumble with anticipation and enthusiasm. It's almost as if the Chileans just randomly snatched a handful of tags from a box of influential names, and proceeded to play by the rules of those acts. There's Finnish death metal aplenty, a ghastly exposition of Convulse, Demigod and even Abhorrence when you're listening to the more eerie variations of the blasting tremolo sequences, Incantation, which should be obvious by now, some Death circa 1987-1988, and an occasional admiration for death/doom acts in the vein of Winter (slightly less evil), Asphyx, Cianide, and less known Finnish obscures Rippikoulu. Some of my favorite moments include the mingling, tingling death/doom harmonies on the title track which sound like interpretations of early Autopsy, and the blasting, ruinous chord progressions of ''Between The Mortuary Remains''.

With such brevity and a mere lack of diversity there's not really much to say about Ancient Crypts. The demo is indubitably a bred of the previously mentioned acts in every possible way; the riffs, the drum patterns, the colossal, heaving density of the atmosphere, and the guttural snares of the vocalist, which, at faster picking moments resemble a somewhat bulbous version of your atypical death/grind barking. Yes, I did occasionally get a sense of repetition seething through wretched pits of the demo, and to be honest there are many other groups that are producing A+ material that tops this in so many ways, but the band's youth and eagerness negates utterly stark criticism. Besides, all those excellent OSDM acts that we venerate and adore today were, in fact, quite like these gentleman at some early point of their career. Thus, I can do no more but recommend this to fervent tape collectors - it hardly deviates from the norm but kicks copious asses while sticking to the safe route - so give them a chance and what do you know, one day, they might blossom into one of your doppelganger favorites.

Highlights:
Deep Into the Ancient Crypts
Devoured by Serpents

Rating: 75%

Wrathprayer - The Sun of Moloch: The Sublimation Of Sulphur's Essence Which Spawned Death And Life

As the realization of blasphemous evil continues, its stench, a befouling smell of utter disgust  spreads like a disease through even more bands, and the latest beast that I’ve encountered is the Chilean band of brigands, Wrathprayer, another group that bore a great big hole in my ear that I’m not likely to forget easily. This tenebrous trio attach together the carnal bestiality of Pseudogod, Blasphemy and Teitanblood with elements borrowed from some of the more intricate groups in the current scene such as Mitochondrion, or Portal, and with a dose of encompassing heft, Wrathprayer form their own ultimate sound, a distinct gathering of all the raging blasphemy going on before them.  I really have to give ‘’Nuclear War Now!’’ productions my thanks for such an amazing row of albums, spewed forth before us over and over until our ears can’t bear the surpassing level of semi-technical evil hinted in the suffocating columns of blackened death metal.  It is indeed great pleasure and great joy to see such hordes gathering together before they sacrifice us unto the perilous flames of hate, and it is indeed a magnificent sight to see the dark-crimson flames of the ritual fire flicker and wave and disperse, right before the Sun Of Moloch sets upon us with its scathing rays of light.

I’ll admit, that was a little too poetic of me, but when the food in your mouth is THAT good, there’s really nothing you can do but brag about it. Since you’ve got a general idea of what this sounds like, I’ll lend you some hints about the whirlwind of riffs that go on below a hate-laden malevolent scourge. The guitar tone is totally copious and bulky, only marginally different from some of the bands I mentioned above, but still vigorous and absolutely skull-shattering, robust enough to churn out seven horror driven psalms of angered blasphemy. Of course, the atmosphere is as thick and dense as possible, and if the riffs had been a little more intricate and complex, then this would have easily been a suitable replacement for an upcoming portal album. And still, without supreme levels of intricacy the dark old school death metal tremolo textures are always adorned with a deep impulse of black metal savagery and rawness, which creates a tangible aura of black and death which will appeal to fans of both genres. ‘’The Sun Of Moloch’’ is garrulous when it comes to riffs. The bountiful plethora of riffs never cease efficiency or accuracy, although they usually slither and rub against the listener’s ears rather than directly diving at them, you get one step closer to the irresistible evil of the music each song, and since heft equals of oppression and more vivacity equals more tantalization in ‘’The Sun Of Moloch’’, by the end of the record, your brain cells will be soaking wet with sweat, your arms tenebrous from pain, and you yourself will be suffering, smothered by utterly powerful evil.

The album can fit a few seconds of horror ambiences into most songs, which sort of acts like a front appetizer that prepares you for the main, traumatizing impact, and I guess these ambiences are cryptic enough to scare of your grandmother and your little sister, but the real disturbance occurred when I first heard the final track, ‘’Prayer II’’, something that I admittedly listened many a time, aghast with fear. The subtle, eerie comings and goings of the vocals always embrace the abysmal atmosphere even more, the drums are surprisingly audible and surprisingly balanced (especially since it’s generally not easy to hear them over such inundating riffs), and the overall quality of the riffs is simply stellar, as Wrathprayer have expanded their style by adding queer nuances into the already beloved fashion of black/death. It’s not wholly original, that’s blatant, but it’s one of the best black/death executions of the year, and certainly a mandatory experience for all those who adore Proclamation, Teitanblood, Portal, Antediluvian and the like. 

Highlights:

In Visceribus Bestiæ

The Darkest Fyre

The Sun Of Moloch

Rating: 89%